The Part-Time Player
by ardror
Summary: With the team still reeling from their Championship win, Kuroko drops a bomb on them. Apparently, there is one more Teiko basketball prodigy out there Kagami wants to beat. Unfortunately for Kagami, all this guy wants to do is swim now.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: With the team still reeling from their Championship win, Kuroko drops a bomb on them. Apparently, there is one more Teiko basketball prodigy out there Kagami wants to beat. Unfortunately for Kagami, all this guy wants to do is swim now.

A/N Hi everyone, this is my first time posting a story, but I couldn't get the idea out of my mind so I figured I may as well write it out! Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Free! Iwatobi Swim Club or Kuroko's Basketball. If I did these things would happen in canon and not through fanfiction.

Enjoy!

* * *

"YES!" shouted Kagami as he pumped his fist into the air, "We beat the Generation of Miracles! HA, none of them were able to stop us in the end!"

The team smiled, fist bumping each other as they made their way to the locker room. It was a hard game, that was for sure, but they were all still hyped from the win against Rakuzan.

Kuroko was happy, both because of their win and just the fact that they did it as a true team. His teammates were amazing and their support for one another is what led them to victory, he was confident their passion for the game would never fade.

"Ne, Kuroko?" It was the Captain, Hyuuga.

"Yes?"

"How do you think we would've faired against two, or even the entire former Teiko team?"

"Hmm, that's hard to say, it would depend on who we were facing, if it was only two or three players."

"And if it were the entire team?"

"We would be obliterated."

"OI?!" The team yelled.

Kagami walked over and grabbed a fistful of Kuroko's jersey, "Don't just say that with complete certainty! We have some strong members on our team and a solid strategy, plus no one else has ever reached the second Zone except us!" he shouted.

"Yeah, I don't see why we wouldn't at least have a tiny chance at beating Akashi, Aomine, Kise, Midorima, and Murasakibara," Kiyoshi said.

"You would."

"THEN WHY DID YOU JUST SAY WE WOULDN'T?!"

"I didn't. I said you wouldn't be able to beat the Teiko team."

"What's the difference?" asked Kagami, "Are you saying the addition of yourself would change things? We already know your moves, and you would be playing for us anyways."

"No, even if I was playing for you we wouldn't win, not against Teiko."

The Coach was the first to understand the specification. "I see, so Teiko has another trump card?"

"WHAT? A trump card _other_ than the Generation of Miracles? Are they still in middle school or something?" The Captain begins to pace, already mentally preparing for the next tournament where they may have to face yet another prodigy.

"No, he moved up to high school at the same time as the rest of us."

"Then why did I never see him when I played in Teiko in middle school?" Kiyoshi wondered.

"He didn't go to every game. Or every practice, for that matter."

"Ugh, another guy who skips and acts indifferent to basketball? Is Teiko breeding those or something?" Kagami muttered.

"No, he was very passionate."

"Then why would he skip?"

"He didn't."

" _WHA-_? This is too confusing! What else would you call a guy on the team who doesn't show up for practice or games?"

"A part-time player."

The team sat on the benches, shocked, with similar thoughts running through their heads. Why would a school that has such good players already, allow a part-time player on their first string? Wouldn't they rather have someone they can rely on, who will devote all their time and energy to the team?

Coach Aida looked up at the clock, then stood. "Okay team, as interesting as this is, we need to leave now, so let's continue this once we're settled at Kagami's place!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" "HEY! I NEVER SAID YOU COU- _OUCH_! Captain, what was that for!?"

Kuroko followed the team out, trying to figure out the best way to explain his old teammate, someone who could've been named as part of the Generation of Miracles, maybe even the best of the group. He stays quiet throughout the journey, until they make it to his light's apartment, seated and ready to hear the rest of his tale.

"I guess I should begin by saying that you don't really have to worry about him showing up, because I don't think he's playing basketball anymore. However, it wasn't for the reasons you probably are thinking, like getting bored or angry or anything like that, he's actually one of the most passionate people I've ever met. But his passion doesn't end with basketball, which is why he only played it part-time. He loved to read and play other sports, and wanted to be able to experience new things and show people what he can bring to them." He paused and took a breath, preparing for the reaction of his next words.

"I'd also like to say that he was, without a doubt, the most perfect basketball player I have ever seen."

The room was silent. He let the statement sink in. Kagami was, unsurprisingly, the first to break.

"So, I have another strong player left to beat, huh?" He asked. His voice is even, but Tetsuya could see the fire in his eyes, the same fire he saw when Kagami first declared war on the Generations of Miracles. It was animalistic.

"Like I said before, he doesn't play anymore."

"If he's that good and passionate about the game, why would he stop?" Hyuuga chimed in.

"I guess I wouldn't say he is passionate about the game, exactly. He likes competition, but he's not as set on it as Kagami or Aomine. He also likes to work as part of team, but again, that isn't the reason he plays."

"Then why?" The team asked, exasperated.

"I suppose you'd say he's more interested in sports that have a certain...aesthetic. Sports that pride themselves on perfect form and skills that can precisely calculated when all the variables have been accounted for."

"Isn't that difficult, though?" Kiyoshi asked, "I mean, I know Mamoi is able to process a lot of data and make predictions, but what your saying sounds different."

"It is. Mamoi uses data to give the team a perfect defense against their opponents. What I'm talking about is best used offensively. Instead of player data, like the number of shots each player makes, which positions they play, who is best at what skill, he uses the measurements of the court, the players, rate of acceleration of everyone playing, the air pressure of the ball, and gravity to create a technically perfect form of basketball. With physics on his side, he is able to make every shot like Midorima, but does it in a way that is so innovative and unpredictable that it's pretty much impossible to stop, like Aomine. But there is something more there, it's not just the calculations but the way he implements them. When he's on court it looks almost as if he's dancing, there's an element he brings to game that is so perfect and...beautiful."

"Ha, I guess it's a good thing we didn't have to go up against him then," Izuki nervously laughed, still a little shaken at the fact a person like this exists. He then looked over to Kagami, sitting beside him breathing heavily, like a bull about to charge.

"I want to play him," he muttered repeatedly, with a dangerous glint in his eye. Izuki scooted a bit further away from him.

Kuroko looked at Kagami with a blank expression, "You can't, please get over it." Kagami looked down with clenched teeth and went back to muttering.

Coach Aida hit Kagami over the head and yelled at him to stop acting like a rabid beast, and while he nursed his new wound she turned to Kuroko and asked, "How does he fare against the other members of the Generation of Miracles?"

Tetsuya looked down, "I don't know, he's never played against them. At least, not since he perfected his form. By then, he had already established himself as a powerful player meant for first string, but he didn't want to make it a competition between his own teammates, so he's never played any of them one on one. But he's definitely on their level, if not higher."

"What sport is he playing now?"

"What school does he go to?"

"Does he have any weaknesses?"

"What color is his hair?"

"I want to play him."

"Uh, shouldn't someone be asking what his name is? And Kagami THAT ISN'T EVEN A QUESTION!" The Captain reached over the table and shook their team's ace as he yelled.

Kuroko looked around at his team, who were all eagerly awaiting his answers (with the exception of Kagami and Hyuuga, who were still 'discussing' what 'does not play basketball anymore' means).

"He is part of a swim team now. He goes to Iwatobi High. If he had any weaknesses, I guess it would be his obsession with beauty, he would probably put that above actually scoring a point if it came down to that. ...He has purple hair," Kuroko shot Koganei a blank look, but Koganei just shrugged and mumbled something about prodigies and weird hair colors.

Kuroko turned to face the rest of the team to answer the last question.

"...As for his name, it's Ryuugazaki Rei."

* * *

That's all for now! Let me know what you think, I haven't though that much about pairings (if there will be any) so if you have any ideas feel free to leave it in the review box.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! Thank you to those who reviewed! Here is another chapter, a little look at our swimming friends and a peak into the first encounter! Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, I just like to play around in their fandoms.

* * *

"REI-CHAN!"

Rei looks up as he walks out of the station near Samezuka Academy, just in time to see a smiling Nagisa bounding towards him. Behind him are Nanase Haruka and Tachibana Makoto waiting with overnight bags strapped across their shoulders as well as Nagisa's own bag discarded in favor of tackling his best friend.

"Don't worry, I packed enough iwatobi-chan bread and other sweets for the trip!"

"I wasn't worrying! And get off me, we'll be late to meet Rin-senpai!"

"Boooo, Rei-chaaaan, you're no fun right now."

The four made their way to the school where Gou, Rin, and the rest of the Samezuka Academy swim team were waiting by the bus that would drive them to Tokyo. It was a long drive, which was why they were spending the weekend there before heading back to Iwatobi. The Samezuka team had secured a bus to go see a professional swim meet in Tokyo and were nice enough to invite the Iwatobi boys along with Gou, Rin's sister, with them. Well, it was unclear how much was their goodwill and how much was the Captain's infatuation with the female Matsuoka, but they weren't complaining either way.

The teams piled onto the bus and began the long trip to Tokyo and after several hours, five massive pastries (all eaten by Nagisa, obviously), and one close call of Haru nearly jumping into a pond next to the gas station they made a pit stop at, they finally made it to the hotel they were staying at for the weekend.

Captain Mikoshiba turns to the group before they head up to their respective rooms.

"Everyone, be down here at 9am to leave for the meet! It begins at 10am and will go until 5pm, then you may do whatever you'd like until the next day, any questions? Okay, see you all tomorrow, get some rest!"

"Hai!"

* * *

The next morning is an eventful one. It began with a frenzied Makoto banging on Nagisa and Rei's door at 8 in the morning.

"Huh? Mako-chan, what are you doing here?"

"I can't find Haru!"

"WHAT? Haru-chan is missing? Did you check the bathtub?"

"Twice!"

Rei, who had heard the entire conversation after he was abruptly woken up by Makoto's knocking, did not appreciate the loud volume of the conversation his two friends were having, especially after being kept awake half the night by Nagisa's incomprehensible sleep-talking.

He slowly got out of bed, grabbing his red glasses from the nightstand as he stood up, and walked to the desk, picking up the hotel brochure and walking towards the frantic duo at the door.

"Excuse me, Makoto-sempai," he nudged his glasses up onto the crook of his nose, "Haruka-sempai is most likely on the third floor, there is a swimming pool and hot tub there. I recommend finding him as soon as possible, as there is a high probability of resistance when attempting to get him out." He shoved the brochure into his upperclassmen's hand and shut the door.

Rei was not a morning person.

By 8:30am, Nagisa and a much more pleasant Rei had made their way to breakfast, spotting many Samezuka swimmers already there, as well as Gou. She waved them over with a smile.

"You can take my brother's seat, he's gone up to help Makoto drag Haru out of the pool, I don't think they will make it down in time for breakfast."

She was right, Makoto and Rin came running into the lobby just as the clock struck nine, a frowning Haruka trailing behind them.

Rin turned back to the blue-eyed teen with an angry look on his face, "OI, idiot! Don't give me that look, the only reason you're on time is because Makoto and I forced your sorry ass down here!" he snarled.

"I wanted mackerel."

"Too bad! Come to breakfast on time, then!"

Makoto scratched the back of his neck, about to say that he didn't think they served mackerel as a breakfast option, but kept his mouth shut after a look from Rin that said _don't make getting him out of the pool and harder tomorrow, Tachibana_.

The Captain clapped his hands and led the group out of the hotel and into the metro station heading to the athletic stadium where the meet was being held.

Oh yeah, they were off to a _great_ start.

* * *

When they got to the stadium, everyone was in awe. Rin grinned and threw an arm around Haru, asking him if still hadn't made up his mind on becoming a professional swimmer. Haru just stared at the water slowly inching towards it until Makoto grabbed his shirt and held him back from taking any more steps.

"Woooaah, Rei-chan, isn't this so cool! It's so bright and pretty!" Nagisa looked over to Rei, who also had a slightly dazed look on his face.

"B-beautiful..."

The boys made their way down the steps and into their seats as they watched the swimmers warm up in preparation for their meet.

Gou decided this was the right time to cut in. She jumped in front of the four Iwatobi swimmers and pointed her finger at them, nearly poking Makoto in the eye as he was almost too slow to cower away. They looked at her with wide eyes.

"Okay, boys! Now remember, this isn't just for fun! You are supposed to study these swimmers and their styles to improve your own, I expect to see increases in all of your times when we get back!"

"WHA-?! But I thought we got to go just because Gou-chan wanted to see all the professional muscles..."

"That's not...the only reason! And it's Kou! Anyways, this should help all of you, if you pay attention. Compare your approach to theirs, especially the relay!"

"Hai!"

As the meet began, the boys took Gou's words to heart, and tried to analyze the swimmers as they competed. Meanwhile, Gou drooled over many, many muscles.

Hours passed, and a little after noon, they all took a break to go get lunch. As they walked to a small restaurant near the stadium, Nitori began to speak with the Captain about the stadium."

"Captain, is the stadium only used for professional swim meets?"

"Oh, no, not at all. When the professional team isn't using the pool, it's usually open to the public, or is used for college or high school competitions. They also host diving meets there, and on if you look across the parking lot, there is also as basketball stadium as well. It's usually used for high school or college tournaments, but during the rest of the year can be used for official matches as well, if the schools want to."

"Really? Wow, how do you know about all that?"

"Huh? Oh, a cousin of mine plays basketball and I went to one of his matches there a couple of months ago. We're not that close, my mother isn't very fond of that side of her family so I don't know him very well."

"Ah, I see. Sorry for bringing up a hard topic, Captain."

"Oh, don't worry about it, it's not that bad!" The Captain grinned and opened the door to the restaurant.

The lunch was an uneventful affair, Haru was satisfied with his grilled mackerel dish, and Makoto was happy because he avoided a Nanase Haruka Mackerel Withdrawal (not something to be taken lightly).

As they made their way back to the stadium, Nagisa saw a sign for pastries and sweets down the road, and after a set of puppy eyes aimed at Gou, he skipped down the road, promising to only take fifteen minutes. The remaining Iwatobi swim club rolled their eyes and sighed, unable to fully comprehend how a tiny person like Nagisa could eat that much junk food in one day.

Before walking through the stadium's doors for a second time, Rei took a quick glance behind him, not in search of his blond friend, but rather at the sister building sitting across the lot.

 _I wonder if I would be there right now I had chosen a different path._

 _I don't regret it, though._

* * *

Meanwhile...

Nagisa bounced around the sweet and pastry shop happily, grabbing handfuls of food as he went. He looked at the time and pouted, wanting to stay longer but knowing he had to leave soon if he wanted to make the relay in time. He took a place in line and began humming a jingle to a candy commercial he had heard on television the night before.

He stopped abruptly when a hand was place on his shoulder, he looked back, only to have to tilt his head upward to see the stranger's face. A tall boy, dressed in an athletic jersey carrying even more sweets than Nagisa!

"Wooaahhh, so tall! Nice to meet you, I'm Hazuki Nagisa, do you like sweets too?"

"Ah, yeah. Was that the new Meiji Candy jingle you were humming, Hazu-chin?"

"Hazu-chin?"

* * *

Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the super delayed update! These past several months have been a little crazy with 3 moves and a new job. Hopefully I can bring you new chapters a bit more frequently from now on haha!

* * *

FLASHBACK

Akashi Seijouru was not having a good day.

Daiki had begun skipping matches in addition to practices. Ryouta was being more annoying than usual. Shintarou was blaming his bad mood on Oha-Asa's predictions and started ranting about the importance of lucky items during their lunch break. Atsushi loudly munched on chips all through class and now had to sit in detention for being a distraction instead of being at practice. And Tetsuya, usually the most well behaved of the bunch, was _depressed_ because his "light" wasn't taking basketball as seriously as the shadow thought he should be.

So, while the basketball team's first string ran 50 laps around the track for annoying their captain, the redhead moved his heterochromatic eyes over to the baseball team, who were practicing in the adjacent field. Teiko's baseball team had done very well the year before. They won the championship against a team who had dominated the conference for the previous five years, and had many games where they didn't even let the opponent score one point. Akashi had attended a couple of those games, curious about the cause of the sudden change in performance and was greeted with the anomaly that was Ryuugazaki Rei, the current pitcher of the Teiko baseball team.

Ryuugazaki Rei had pitched four no hitters last year alone. His form was perfect, beautiful even. If one looked closer they would see him mumbling throughout the games, and after overhearing him once as he headed into the dugout, Akashi found that he was mumbling _calculations_.

 _Interesting_.

Akashi glanced back over to his teammates who were still running, then to the window where Atsushi was eating candy as he sat out his detention, and then up to the roof, where Satsuki was yelling at a bored Daiki.

He needed a new pet project, and he already knew the perfect candidate for the job.

 _Ryuugazaki Rei, ready for a new challenge?_

Akashi smirked.

END FLASHBACK

* * *

"I like to add –chin to people's names," was Murasakibara's reply, as he dug into his newly acquired sweets, walking down the street with Nagisa next to him.

"Oh, can I call you Atsu-chan then?"

"Eh, I don't care."

"YAY! So, what sport do you play, Atsu-chan?"

"Basketball. We just finished the championship a while ago, but they are letting us use the space for joint practices with other teams."

"Cool! That's what we're doing too! We are a pretty small swim team, but Gou-chan seduced the captain of her brother's school into letting us practice with them!"

"Gou? Weird name for a girl," Murasakibara said while throwing another piece of candy into his mouth.

"Yeah, she wants us to call her Kou instead, but I like Gou-chan!" Nagisa smiles wide.

A phone rings and Murasakibara digs through the candy wrappers in his pocket to pull out the cell at the bottom.

"Hello?"

"..."

"Ah, Muro-chin, I found a sweet shop, I told you there was one around here."

"..."

"Eh? I don't care if they start without me, I'll crush them when I get back. I'm talking to Hazu-chin right now."

"..."

"I met him at the sweet shop..."

"..."

"But I want to talk to him more."

"..."

"Noooo don't tell Aka-chin."

"..."

"...Fine, I'm coming back." He hangs up the phone with a pout.

"Sorry Hazu-chin, I have to go back or else Muro-chin will tell Aka-chin and Aka-chin will tell my captain to give me a harder training schedule..."

"It's okay, Atsu-chan! We can talk later if you'll be around! I'm staying for the next couple of days while the swimming matches are going on before we have to drive back to Iwatobi! Maybe you can even meet my friends!"

"Ah, okay, we'll be around for the training camp at the stadium, we can probably see each other again."

The two exchange information and go their separate ways, happy that they met someone with as much of an appreciation for sweets as themselves.

* * *

Murasakibara walks back onto the court two minutes into the practice game with Rakuzen. It's 6-12 with Rakuzen in the lead, and Akashi hadn't even stepped onto the court yet. His team breathes a sigh of relief that their Ace is finally back from his sweets hunt, Himuro had put up a good fight against the three Uncrowned Kings, but their defense was struggling without the purple-haired giant.

Akashi rose from his place on the bench as a time out was called. He walked over the Murasakibara.

"You're two minutes late, Atsushi. I'm disappointed."

"Sorry, Aka-chin..."

"It's alright, I've already asked your captain to double your training schedule next week."

Murasakibara pouted, but said nothing, he knew from experience that complaining would only end in more punishment.

The timeout ended and both teams took their places on the court with the new addition of their respective Aces.

* * *

Meanwhile, Nagisa took his seat next to Rei, looking down at the swimmers who were preparing for the 100m Free.

"Nagisa-kun, you're late."

"Sorry Rei-chan, do you want a sweet bun to make up for it?" He holds the bun out with an apologetic smile on his face.

"Right after we just ate? I'm stuffed, it would be completely illogical to eat when already full."

"It's never an illogical time to have sweets!" He takes a bite out of the previously offered bun. "OH! Rei-chan, guess what? I made a new friend today at the sweet shop!"

"Nagisa-kun please pay attention to the swim meet."

"-he eats a lot of junk food too-"

"Nagisa-kun-"

"-also super tall and-"

"Nagi-"

"-plays basketball so-"

"I'm trying to wa-"

"-calls me Hazu-chin-"

"NAGISA-KU-wait, he calls you what?" Rei stopped his rant with a nervous look on his face.

"He calls me Hazu-chin! Actually I think it's a habit of his to end everyone's name with chin, like your habit of being overly formal!"

"Ignoring that last part, you said he was tall...?

"Yes! And he plays basketball. I think you'd like him, Atsu-chan has purple hair, too!"

Atsu-chan?

 _Atsu_ -chan

 _Atsushi_

 _Murasakibara_ _ **Atsushi**_

Rei pales.

* * *

The game ends 61-63, with Rakuzen taking the win. Akashi walks over to Murasakibara after the match.

"Atsushi, good game, but you misused your time in the zone."

"OK, Aka-chin..." the taller player mumbles as he fiddles with his phone.

"Atsushi, why are you not giving your full attention to me?" the redheaded captain asks, annoyed.

"Sorry Aka-chin, I'm texting Hazu-chin, he's a new friend I met at the sweet shop earlier. He's watching the swim meet across the street with his teammates right now."

"Interesting, you don't usually make friends that easily Atsushi, are you seeing him again soon? I would like to meet him."

"Ah, I don't know, he lives in Iwatobi so it will be hard once he leaves." The purple haired giant sends out another text as he pulls out some pocky from his gym bag.

"Iwatobi, you say? Hmm..."

"Hai, Aka-chin. What about it?"

"Oh, nothing, I just have some unfinished business in that area."

 _So, the Iwatobi Swim Club is in town? I guess it's time to pay a visit to an old friend._

Akashi smiles.

"Uh-oh...Aka-chin has a scary look on his face..."

* * *

Please review if you liked the story! :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N I know, I know. I said I was going to update more frequently but it's been 5 months. I'm sorry! I could give a bunch of excuses, but I know whoever is actually still reading this thing probably only cares about the new chapter haha, so here you are!

Disclaimer: I do not own Free! or Kuroko no Basuke.

* * *

FLASHBACK

"Ryuugazaki Rei, current pitcher for the Teiko Baseball team."

Rei turns to look for the voice and is met with the mismatched eyes of Akashi Seijouru staring back at him. He's heard of the captain of their school's basketball team before, of course, who hasn't? The question is why was he singled out when the two hadn't spoken a word to each other in the year and a half they had been schoolmates.

"Yes...uh...can I help you, Akashi-kun?"

"You turned a below average team into regional champions in one year. How?"

"Well-"

"That was rhetorical, I know how." Akashi stares at the boy in front of him with a calm, but intimidating gaze. "You calculate your way through the game, everything from ball speed to how fast it will take a player to get from one plate to another. It's impressive."

Rei blushes, "Thank you, anyone could do it, though, if they studied the game as much as I have. It's all in the numbers."

"True," Akashi agrees, as Rei looks up, shocked at the nonchalant response. "What? You think I would flatter you some more? Baseball is all about statistics, numbers are everywhere, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that they should use those numbers to their advantage."

Rei frowns, peeved, "Well if that's the case, then why even bother talking to me at all, seeing as how I'm just another dime-a-dozen baseball player."

"I said anyone can calculate those numbers if they study it for long enough, not that they could do it _while playing the game_. You take into account real time variables and apply them mere seconds later, _that_ is what impresses me. You have a gift." Akashi smirks as Rei looks down to his shoes, blushing once again.

"Thank you for the compliment, but I still don't understand why you are talking to me," he mumbles back.

"You enjoy baseball, yes?"

Startled by the question, Rei looks up and replies, "Ah, y-yes. It's quite a beautiful sport, I've strived to reach perfection through studying form and regulations-"

"Yes, I can see that."

"Thank you, that is nice to hear-"

"It is a pity though," Akashi continues.

Now to drop the bait.

"Wh-What? A pity?"

A smirk makes it's way onto the redhead's face, but he hides it quickly while saying, "Of course. I mean, you have reached perfection, haven't you? Your form is precise, your throws always go as planned, and you can calculate exactly how long it will take a player to get to first base should they be lucky enough to hit something."

"Yes, that's true, but that's a good thing...isn't it?"

"Sure, but..." Akashi trails off.

"...But?"

"But, well, I assumed you were the type to want to continue to achieve perfection, in every way."

"I am!" Rei cries, indignant, "I strive to be at the top of my classes, something you make very difficult, by the way, and maintain a balanced schedule of eating healthy and studying the more beautiful extracurricular subjects outside of school."

"And yet you stay tied to a sport you've already mastered...Aren't you ready for a new challenge? A new opportunity to reach perfection?"

"...A new opportunity to reach perfection?" Rei repeats, unsure.

Akashi holds out his hand, "Join the Teiko Basketball Team, and I'll make you the most flawless basketball player on the court. "

Rei looks at him, surprised, but intrigued. The red-headed basketball player did have a point, he had achieved a certain level of beauty in the sport that one would be hard-pressed to surpass, and simply maintaining the quality of form had become somewhat easy and, dare he say it, boring.

 _But basketball?_

Basketball was entirely new. Terrifyingly, excitingly new. Ball density, the rate at which players move, the positions, court, _basket_...the variables would completely change. Would it even work? There were so many numbers to keep track of at a much faster pace than a baseball game. Final scores often totaled in the 50s or 60s _per team_. There were no breaks, no one player up at bat, no "three strikes and your out" consistency. If you have the ball, you try to score, if your opponent has the ball, you try to steal it back. It would certainly be a challenge to bring beauty to a sport like that, but the numbers _were_ there.

Anyways, it's not like he's being asked to try something insane, like _swimming_.

"Okay, I'll do it."

* * *

"Team, this is Ryuugazaki Rei, he will be practicing with us from now on." Akashi looks at the rest of the team, as if he's daring them to say anything negative about his decision.

Kise is the first to speak up, "Ah, Ryuugazaki-chi! I remember you from my stint on the baseball team! You were so good, why the change?"

Rei scratches the back of his head nervously, "Just looking for a new challenge, I guess."

"Haha, I guess I can understand that!" Kise laughs.

"Huh, baseball team? Does he even know how to play the sport? I want a challenge, not newbies who don't even know how to dribble a ball," Aomine pipes in, lying on some mats left on the side of the court.

"I'll have you know I am a very fast learner, and have already studied the game as well as correct forms and play so I won't slow anyone down, Aomine-kun."

"Aomine-kun? Great, another Tetsu."

"That's not a very nice thing to say, Aomine-kun." Kuroko Tetsuya says with a deadpan expression, as if he didn't just appear out of nowhere directly next to Rei.

"GAHH, where did you come from?!" Rei yells.

"I was here the entire time, Ryuugazaki-kun."

END FLASHBACK

* * *

As the two swim teams exit the arena after the swim tournament ends for the day, Rei looks nervously over at the stadium across the way.

"Rei, are you okay? You look a little pale. Are you not feeling well?" Makoto asks, worried.

"N-no, it's nothing Makoto-senpai, just a little cold from the wind, I guess. I'm sure I'll be fine once we get back to the hotel," Rei replies as he picks up his pace.

"Well, that certainly good to hear, Rei. Why don't we duck into a restaurant so you can get warmed up while we reacquaint ourselves."

Rei stops in his tracks and turns around only to meet the hetero-chromatic eyes of his old teammate. The rest of the swimmers looked over, confused at the tense atmosphere. Well, all except Haru, who made a bee-line straight to the first restaurant serving mackerel to put in their names.

"It's a twenty minute wait, they need to put some tables together."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!


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